SIR, The thought of the new £30 million comprehensive school angers me, and the plan for an avoidable £6 million being spent on a new swimming pool is ridiculous. I am seriously worried that both the school and the pool will be disregarded in years to come, and possibly even demolished – previously £400,000 was spent on renovating the pool and now it is being destroyed. Talks about a new school have been around for a while, and yet the renovations went ahead despite the possibility of it being knocked down. I am concerned that there is a lack of long term planning, but further concerned about the school's actual design. Open plan schools are a recipe for disaster, and lots of studies show this. A privacy-free, noisy environment where 12-year-olds are expected to spend time independently learning in a hub. We are forgetting what is actually important in a school. Not the quantity of interactive whiteboards, but the quality of teaching. Having done some research, and spoken to a professional, I will be writing to the County Council and the school with the findings of disadvantages of this style. Although plans are quite advanced, I realise that it is not too late to save money, and save the education of students. I urge anyone else with concerns to share their views. There is something fundamentally wrong with funding if £36 million can be spent on this, despite schools literally falling down in other parts of the country. £36 million is a enormous sum of money, and one school and one pool could be built for less if we weren't so obsessed with architectural design and technology-filled classrooms. (Name and address supplied)